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HISTORIC ALL SCOTTISH FINAL AT BOOST NATIONAL GRAND SLAM

Posted on 16 December 2018

Reigning Boost National Champions Team Mouat will meet compatriots Team Paterson in the first ever all Scottish final at a Grand Slam Curling event. Between them the two Scottish line-ups saw off the last three world champions in the knock out stages of the Boost National.

Bruce Mouat and his men maintained a 100% record in the event as they overcame home favourites Brad Gushue in the quarter finals – their second win at this event over the highest ranked Canadian team in the world - then Kevin Koe in the semi final.

Paterson meanwhile, got the better of Niklas Edin’s reigning world champions in the quarter final before beating four times world champion and current British Curling programme coach Glenn Howard in the semi finals, with Team Mouat’s Coach Alan Hannah describing the outcome as “another fabulous day for the programme.”

Skip Ross Paterson said of reaching his first ever Grand Slam final: “It’s been a really great day, we came out and set a really high ,standard with a good draw shot and took a two in the first end and I think we controlled the majority of the game. There were always chances for each team but we felt pretty comfortable and we said at the start of the game if it came down to playing an extra end for a win then we would be happy with that and that is how it turned out.

“I think we have probably gone past a few people’s expectations, but we have been playing pretty well at our last few events and for us it is great to be here and hopefully we can go one more now,” he said of the approaching final.

Commenting on the packed arena and exhilarating atmosphere created at Grand Slams, Paterson said: “The atmosphere is as good as you can get. There is a sell out crowd, everyone I guess was expecting to see Brad Gushue here, but Scottish teams have had something to say about that. You can’t ask for much more, playing curling at a Grand Slam that is as good as it gets.”

Skip Bruce Mouat is also looking forward to the final as he and his team look to defend their title, having entered the history books as the first British men’s team to win a Grand Slam last year.

“Both Teams Gushue and Koe are world class, so it is a great achievement for us to be able to get three wins against those guys and reach another final,” said Bruce Mouat.

“We are really excited about playing Ross and the guys today. It was a bit of a one way affair in the round robin and I am sure they won’t let us have it that easy in the final, so we will be expecting big things and we will come out firing and we know they will too,” he said.

Paterson added: “I think it is a reflection of the programme just now and how well the teams are going. Bruce and his team are obviously playing well and we owe them one from the round robin, so we will be gunning for that final result too, that is for sure.”

In the women’s event, Team Muirhead pulled off a strong performance to conclude their year following a challenging summer by reaching the play-off stages, losing out to 2014 Olympic champions Jennifer Jones in the quarter final. Jones lost out to Team Homan, who will now meet Kerri Einarson in the women’s final.